![[Image: King-Creosote-Diamond-Mine-300x300.jpg]](http://www.shoft.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/King-Creosote-Diamond-Mine-300x300.jpg)
I think
Diamond Mine by
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins takes the crown for me this year. It's a beautiful gem of an album which succeeds in transporting the listener to another place entirely - in this case, a Scottish seaside village. Best listened to with headphones, and quite likely on vinyl (though I haven't gotten around to that yet). Also near the top of the list is
Everything's Getting Older by
Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat (another Scottish duo), which captures the trials and tribulations of the aging process quite beautifully, with enough filth to remind you that Aidan Moffat is involved. Rounding out my top three is
Departing by the
Rural Alberta Advantage, which is a great follow-up to their fantastic debut, even if I do have some issues with the sequencing of the last few tracks.
And hey, here's my mix of the year:
1. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Honest Words (B-side from
Diamond Mine)
2. St. Vincent - Cheerleader (
Strange Mercy)
3. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Stamp (
Departing)
4. Okkervil River - Rider (
I Am Very Far)
5. Rob Crow - Prepare To Be Mined (
He Thinks He's People)
6. Buck 65 - Stop (
20 Odd Years)
7. Beirut - Santa Fe (
The Rip Tide)
8. Malajube - Le Blizzard (
La Caverne)
9. FOUND - You're No Vincent Gallo (
factorycraft)
10. Handsome Furs - Repatriated (
Sound Kapital)
11. Wake The President - Elaine (
Zumutung!)
12. The Fruit Tree Foundation - Splinter (
First Edition)
13. Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat - The Copper Top (
Everything's Getting Older)
14. Florence + The Machine - Shake It Out (
Ceremonials)
15. Wye Oak - Civilian (
Civilian)
16. The Black Keys - Sister (
El Camino)
17. David Bazan - Eating Paper (
Strange Negotiations)
18. Chad VanGaalen - Peace On The Rise (
Diaper Island)
19. R.E.M. - We All Go Back To Where We Belong (B-side from
Collapse Into Now)
20. Rival Schools - Small Doses (
Pedals)
21. Eliott Brood - Their Will (
Days Into Years)
Download.
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